Whitewash-beitsh block



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PETERS PHOTO-LITMOG WASHINGTON D C Tun sTATEs PATENT Omron.

CHAS. WILLIAMS, OF FHILADELIHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WHITEWASH-BRUSH BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,459, dated February 23, 1858.

To all whom it 'may comme:

Be it known that I, CHARLES IVILLIAMS, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Iliitewash- Brush Blocks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciication, in which- Figure l, is a side view of a white-wash brush block partially lled with hair. Fig. 2, is a vertical transverse section in the line Fig. 3, is a similar section, but in the line y, y.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

My improvement consists 1st. in providing a block for white wash or wall brushes with broad permanentrests or gages, sothat all the bristles may be set with their butts in line without the use of the vise aws as a gage. 2nd. In covering the blade with metal for strengthening and protecting the tie holes, and thus rendering the block available for second using. 3rd. In making the blade or tongue with serrated surfaces and with slits from its edge to the tie-holes, so that the brush maker shall be enabled to tie the bristles on the block with more rapidity and greater security by less labor and trouble than usual.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its `construction and operation.

A, is a block which has a piece cut of each side so as to form a tongue or blade B, and the rests C, C. j

D, is the serrated metal covering to the tongue. E, E, the tie holes formed through the serrated metal covering, and through the blade. F, F, the slits extending from the edge of the'blade to the tie holes.

G, G, are the bristles, fastened to the block, and H, the wire by which the bristles are secured.

The block is out so that the grain of the wood will be at right angles with the length of the blade, the object being to strengthen the blade after the tie holes have been made, and so that it may be made thinner and lighter than blades of common blocks which have to be made thick (owing to the grain of the wood running parallel with the tongue) at the blade to guard against splitting off at the tie holes. Thus having the grain of the wood run at right angles with the tongue also allowsof the block being hollowed out as at B, B, and thus as a whole made lighter than any other blocks.

In order -to give a clear understanding of my improvements I may refer to the several features under different heads, and the first in order will be the rests C, C. These rests form a permanent stop or gage to keep the roots of the bristles straight while being tied on, and in order to show the advantage of this branch of my improvement, I will describe the operation of tying the bristles on the common blocks.

The block is fastened in a vise in a position that the jaws of the vise form a gage to rest the roots of the bristles on during the process of tying. Some makers fasten the block in the vise without relying on the jaws of the vise for a gage, and use a large fiat file or a piece of flat iron to butt or force the knots of bristles straight on the blocks under the binding, and it is well known to t-he trade that they become ragged and irregular. hence the use of the searing iron to burn the bristles straight at the roots, which operation, although making a iinish to the brush, often scorches and burns the twine, therefore more or less weakens it. Byl using the permanent rests or gages on my block, the maker dispenses with the vise-jaws (as a gage) andthe tool for butting the bristles straight, he need not be particular in fastening his block straight in the vise, he also dispenses with the searing iron, thereby ef-,

fecting a saving of fuel and irons. He.is consequently enabled to make his brushes with more rapidity and less labor, and when they are finished they are more durable than the old style can possibly be made.

The next feature in order is the tongue or blade with the serrated metal. This tongue and the covering are furnished with the tie-holes E, and slits F, and with serrations ready to put on the blade B. The metalV covering is used to prevent the binding from forcing out the wood above the tie-holes E, in the straining necessary to tighten the binding to confine the bristles; and thus preserving the shape of the tie holes E, and slits F, and making the blade B, more durable, so that when the bristles are worn out, the same block can be relled, but the common blocks in such cases are generally useless, as the straining of the ligature in making, and when subject to the influence of moisture in use, so mutilates the tie-holes E, as to render the block useless. The advantage of the serrations is very great, as the brushes are firmer, and the knots of bristles are less liable to slip out from the ligature or binding. The cause must be apparent; take a block with a smooth blade, and it will take some considerable care, even with a good workman to tie a brush without some danger of -the knots of bristles slipping up in the direction of the thin edge of the blade (this remark holds good in reference to the blocks in common use,) but take a block with the serrated or roughened covering and it will be seen that the knots remain irm on both sides while being bound owing to the sharp protruding points being forced in among the bristles, on the one side, and the ligature tightly drawn on the other; hence these blocks are preferred by all workmen that have used them. a

The slits F, in the blade B, are made to form part of, and intersect with each tiehole E, and should be made small enough to allow only one strand .of the ligature to pass down in the tie-hole at a time, so that when it is passed in the tie-hole E, and strained tight, it cannot slip out and become loose, as the tie-holes being larger than the slits, form a recess to receive the binding on each side of the slits. These slits are particularly essential when wire is used for the binding, it is a well known fact that if a piece of wire from 6 to l5 feet long (the lengths required to tie wall brushes) be drawn through the tie-holes the requisite number of times to bind the bristle to the block, that it is liable to kink and break before the tying can be completed, by reason of repeating the operation so often, but in using the slits as I purpose this difficulty f is entirely removed, it is only necessary for the maker to take the bight of the ligature, near the knot of bristles to be tied on the block and pass it down the slit F, in the tiehole E, and around the bristles, then strain it as he would in the ordinary way and repeating the operation until the brush is completed, without being compelled to pass the end of the ligature through the tie-hole at all, and preventing the wire from kinking, thereby enabling him to tie with more rapidity than can be done in the old way of passing the end of the ligature through the tie-holes.

Wire bound brushes are necessary for certain descriptions of work, owing to the perishable nature of twine, from the action of moisture and the acids contained inthe various substances they are used in, and it has been with the greatest diiiculty a brush could be tied with wire, owing to the difficulty referred to, of kinking and breaking in passing it through the tie-holes of the common block, therefore the manufacture of them on the common block is almost impossible and has been generally abandoned in consequence. By slightly enlarging the slits F, twine can be used and time saved in the operation, as it takes up less time to pass the bight of the twine down the slits F, into the tie-holes E, then having to pass the end of the twine through the holes.

I am not aware that any block has ever been made similar to that herein shown to wit: with permanent rests or gages; with the blade covered with roughened or serrated metal; .with slits which intersect with the tie-holes 0,' and with its sides hollowed out to lighten it; all arranged with a View to enable the brush maker to do more Work in a given time, and bet-ter when finished, also the advantage of using the blocks again when the bristles wear out, therefore Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The permanent rests or gages C, C, and in combination with the same, t-he slitted and serrated tongue B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. Covering the blade with serrated metal, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The slits F, in the tongue forming part of, and intersecting with each tie-hole E, as and for t-he purposes set forth.

CHARLES WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

B. J. TAYMAN, C. BRAZER. 

